Lady Faith MacAlister wishes for adventure, be careful what you wish for . . .
HIGHLAND FAITH
The Wild Thistle Trilogy #2
Madelyn Hill
Releasing May 17, 2017
Soul Mate Publishing
Huntress
Lady Faith MacAlister seeks adventure. Her father’s dying pledge tethers her to
Wild Thistle Keep, thwarting her desire to explore the world beyond the
palisade. Solace is found while hunting and providing sustenance for her clan.
When snatched from the safety of MacAlister lands by a rogue bent on securing a
ransom, she finds the adventure of her life.
Disgraced
Captain Graeme Ross travels the high seas in search of bounty to sell in order
to secure family lands seized by the Crown. He longs to regain his honor in his
father’s eyes and continually risks his life buying and selling goods. Lacking
enough funds, Graeme and his crew follow Lady Faith MacAlister as she hunts.
Out of need and desire, he kidnaps her. The lady captivates him for the moment
he laid eyes upon her. Bold and spirited, she fights him. When he negotiates a
ransom, deception tears the burgeoning romance apart.
Now, Faith
and Graeme seek to settle those differences hindering their union, despite the
stretch of sea and land—and angry Highlanders standing between them.
’Twas her sister’s fault.
Hope had married Aidan MacKerry, leading the MacAlister Clan together, and now they were acting like lovesick cows. Aye, they’d recently had another bairn and ’twas why they were smiling like amadans. But Faith MacAlister had enough of the cooing and kissing.
She had to leave the Wild Thistle Keep or go mad.
Hunting was the only option.
The size of the MacAlister Clan dictated hunting trips each fortnight to keep the larder full. Faith grabbed her quiver and bow, left word with the guards at the palisade to inform the lairds Aidan and Hope her direction, and left to find sustenance and peace.
And now, three days later she continued stalking the elusive stag. She kenned her sister would be close to sending a group of men to look for her in a day or so. Luckily she’d managed an agreement with her sister whom was also her laird. An agreement between sisters proved hard to negotiate, but she’d won in the end. And she hunted without escort as long as she never left without telling the guards her direction.
A sun filled day, just cool enough not to need too much clothing that may hinder her movement, but warm enough she didn’t need to start a fire to warm herself. She stretched in the britches she’d stolen from one of the stable hands. Aye, she’d tried the tartan her sister Hope loved to wear, but found it too revealing as she moved and climbed to find her prey. And a gown, the devil take them, ’twould make it nigh impossible to hunt and secure meat for the clan.
She moved quietly through the woods. Each footfall, purposeful, silently brought her closer to her elusive prey.
Aye, there he stood. In the morning mist that hovered just above the low foliage, a proud, beautiful stag who’d avoided her arrow for too long. Huge, with several points on his rack and a cocksure stance stating, I’m king of the forest. She hated to take down the magnificent animal. But he’d provide for her clan and her duty dictated securing meat for those who depended on her.
She drew her bow, stretching the sinew, straining her arm muscles as she prepared to let the arrow fly. The feather fletching grazed her cheek as she held her breath waiting for the perfect moment to release. She’d traveled far for this chance, stalked her prey as her father had taught her so many years ago with her so wee she could barely hold a bow, much less draw and aim. And today, her size may well again thwart her hunting. ’Twould be problematic once the massive stag was felled. She’d have to dress him in the field and lug the meat back with her. No matter, she’d manage as always.
Two more steps forward. Stared down the length of the arrow past the head, ready to release.
“Well, well, well. What have we here?” a man said.
A resident of Western New York, she moved from one Rochester to another Rochester to be with the love of her life. They now have 3 children and keep busy cooking, going to the movies, and of course reading!
Thank you for hosting me today!
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